Skip to main content

About Us

Aims

The Trust’s aim is ‘advancing by investigation, research or otherwise in any way knowledge with regards to the causes of cancer and if possible of curing or alleviating cancer into the understanding of all aspects of cancer care and cure’. This wide remit has enabled the Trust to pursue various approaches in meeting its charitable objectives in the past.

Currently, the Trust has identified that effective investment in research institutions in the South East of Scotland is best delivered through PhD studentships and undergraduate vacation research scholarships. The Trust is open to effective collaboration with individuals or other charitable organisations to support research for all forms of cancer.

History

The Trust was established in 1922 by George Fisher Melville, an advocate who lived at 12 Moray Place, Edinburgh. The Trust was managed initially by the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, the Deputy Keeper of the Signet and by a representative of the Merchant Company.

The original Act provided power to the Trustees to appoint an additional six trustees but in 1952 an amendment enabled the University of Edinburgh, The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to nominate one person to be appointed as trustees, all of whom are appointed for a 5 year period of renewable office.

Charity Accounts

Trustees

O James Garden
CBE BSC MB CHB MD FRCSED FRCPED FRSE
James Garden is former Regius Professor of Clinical Surgery, Professor Emeritus, Director of Edinburgh Surgery Online, and Dean International at the University of Edinburgh.
Roddy Dunlop
QC

Roddy Dunlop has a wide and varied caseload which has given him a great deal of experience in court, appearing at every level within the Scottish civil court system.

Mandy Laurie
WS
Mandy Laurie is Deputy Keeper of the Signet and a Partner and Head of the Employment Team at Burness Paul LLP.
Marie Fallon
MD FRCP(GLAS) FRCPED
Marie Fallon is the St Columba’s Hospice Chair of Palliative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and Honorary Consultant Consultant in Palliative Care at the Western General Hospital.
Larry Hayward
PhD MRCPEd
Larry Hayward is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Western General Hospital, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre University of Edinburgh, and Associate Medical Director, Cancer Services, NHS Lothian.
Don Young
 
Don Young is Lord Dean of Guild of Edinburgh and The Old Master of the The Royal Company of Merchants, an organisation which represents more than 43 professions, that with its earlier Guild origins, has enriched the life of Edinburgh for more than 750 years.

Scientific Advisory Committee

Representatives of the University of Edinburgh
Dr Stefan Symeonides

Dr Symeonides is a Medical Oncologist and Clinical Senior Lecturer in Experimental Cancer Medicine at the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh and the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.

Dr Simon Wilkinson
Dr Wilkinson is a principal investigator at the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and a Cancer Research UK Senior Fellow.
Representatives of the Royal College of Physicians
Professor William A H Wallace
BSc(Hons), MBChB(Hons), PhD, FRCPEd, FRCPath

Professor Wallace is Chair of the SAC. He is a consultant pathologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and an Honorary Professor in Pathology at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr Caroline Michie
MBChB, MRCP(UK), FRCPE

Dr Michie is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and an NRS research fellow (2018-2021 cohort). 

Representatives of the Royal College of Surgeons
Dr Farhat V N Din
BSc, MB ChB, MRCS, MD, FRCS

Dr Farhat Din is a Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at the Colorectal Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh.

Dr Richard Skipworth
BSc(Hons), MBChB, MD, FRCS (Gen Surg), MFSTEd

Dr Skipworth is a Consultant General and Upper GI Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, and an NHS Research Scotland (NRS) Clinician.

Professor Stephen J Wigmore
FRCSEd, FRSE
Professor Wigmore is the Regius Chair of Clinical Surgery at the University of Edinburgh, Surgeon to the Queen in Scotland, and is Chair of the RCSEd Research Committee.

Charity Administrator Details

T: +44 (0) 131 473 5723
F: +44 (0) 131 228 1222

Malcolm Rust
[email protected]

Malcolm is Head of the Charities team and is an Accredited Specialist in Charity Law through the Law Society of Scotland (re-accredited in 2017).

Tom Hamilton
[email protected]

Tom is a fully accredited Trust and Estate Practitioner, and Chartered Banker.  Tom is involved in the establishment, administration, management, statutory reporting, restructuring, and dissolution of charities in both Scotland and England.

Lorna Brown
[email protected]

Lorna advises charities, private individuals, public sector and commercial organisations on charity law.